Helping veterans move into meaningful employment

It’s very inspiring to read on PoliticsHome that the construction industry is leading the way in supporting our armed forces veterans into meaningful jobs. We owe the men and women who have served this country a huge debt of gratitude, and will do everything we can to make the best use of their skills after they leave the forces.

This is why the experienced staff in my Department make supporting veterans a top priority. As a former member of the forces myself, I understand the culture change involved with leaving the military and moving into a new career. Through our network of Jobcentre Plus Armed Forces Champions we help our heroes with this transition and suggest new career paths they might not have thought of before. The Champions facilitate support such as one-to-one coaching, CV advice, and interview tips, as well as promoting the skills of our veterans to potential employers.

Working closely with Ministry of Defence resettlement officers, our Champions also support the partners of existing Service Personnel, who may find it difficult to get a job due to the sometimes changeable working patterns of their partners. And by visiting military bases in person, we are able to let them know what help is available through Jobcentre Plus once they have left the forces.

Jobcentre Plus is also funding positive local initiatives like Active Plus in Plymouth, where ex-servicemen and women provide coaching to help jobseekers and the long-term unemployed into work.

Not only does it get people into work - last year, almost 300 people who took part in the courses found a job or have taken on work experience, volunteering or training to further boost their skills - it also gives military veterans valuable leadership experience and aides them in their recovery.  Around 90% of veterans running the courses suffer from physical and mental health conditions and have served all over the world. Working on Active Plus makes good use of their experience, and also helps improve their wellbeing.

While we do all we can to help veterans move into meaningful employment, we are also ensuring that they get all the benefits they’re entitled to if they are injured or unable to work.

The Armed Forces Independence Payment is specifically and solely aimed at members of the armed forces who have been seriously injured as a result of military service. We’ve ensured that once awarded, this benefit is on-going without the need for separate disability assessments.

Under Universal Credit, we don’t take into account compensation payments for injury a veteran receives when calculating their entitlement. This means they don’t have to worry about having their benefit reduced because of this compensation. This is only fair.

We are working hard to give veterans the best opportunities once they leave the forces. And I applaud the Chartered Institute of Building, who have recognised the benefit of hiring ex-forces members for their industry. This is a cohort of people with skills that many employers could benefit from.

We have record employment in this country. Let’s make sure our ex-servicemen and women can enjoy record employment as well.